Album Review: Taipei Houston – Once Bit Never Bored

Once Bit Never Bored Is Anything But Boring

Say goodbye to cookie-cutter corporate rock, because Taipei Houston is here and they’re ready to rip speakers to shreds. Sons of the legendary percussion icon Lars Ulrich, Myles and Layne Ulrich formed Taipei Houston in the summer of 2021, releasing their debut album, Once Bit Never Bored on November 4th, and fresh-faced fans can’t get enough of their in-your-face post-garage rock sound. With Myles tearing up the fretboard and Layne serving up vocal stylings akin to Damian Kulash, lead singer of OK Go, there’s no denying that this band has some serious staying power and the distortion pedal to prove it. 

With punchy guitar riffs reminiscent of their punk/garage rock predecessors, it’s only natural to grab the nearest Fender and rock right along to Once Bit Never Bored. Layne belts out lyrics while Myles hammers out gut-punch chords to songs such as “Respecter,” demanding, “Do I have your respect?” And fans are eager to scream “Yes.” 

The high-energy, shred first, ask questions later rock duo recently toured with Washington natives the Melvins (fronted by Buzz Osborne, childhood friend of the late Kurt Cobain), and their growing fanbase is demanding more. As Taipei Houston summons energy that’s been dormant since the likes of Be Your Own Pet first dominated the garage rock scene, it’s refreshing to see angsty music make its way across the airwaves once again. 

“Hello From The Bottom,” complete with angry distortion and fast-paced guitar riffs that make fans wish they’d cover “Master of Puppets,” nods subtlety to the blood, sweat and tears that formed precursory bands such as The Distillers and Brody Dalle’s solo project, Spinnerette. Taipei Houston’s energy is a fierce reminder that music is best served with some serious overdrive. 

While there’s no denying the technical accuracy of Taipei Houston’s playing style and multifaceted skillset required for a two-piece ensemble to tackle that of a four-piece band, it’s worth noting that their sound is, for lack of a better word, familiar. 

Touring with the Melvins can’t be a coincidence, as Taipei Houston’s general feel is reminiscent of tried and true punk/garage bands. Take their hit “The Middle,” for example. Compared to Be Your Own Pet’s “Bicycle, Bicycle, You Are My Bicycle,” both songs start out with a deliberate and intentional drum beat, the music never overpowering the half-singing, half-speaking lyrics.

While rock bands like the Yeah Yeah Yeahs are often mistaken for an emo-centric sound thanks to songs such as “Maps,” they are more widely known for their punk appeal (think “Date With The Night”). This is a sound Taipei Houston feels derivative of, especially with songs such as “Hypocrite” and the familiar vocal lilt with each note. 

If Taipei Houston is, in fact, gaining its musical influences from pop-punk sensations of yesteryear, then more power to them. Because the world needs more punk, and then some. But there’s a fine line between redundant and reimagined, and Taipei Houston straddles that line. 

There’s no debate over their technical proficiency and determination to set themselves apart from mainstream musicians. They’ve taken a chance and stumbled upon a sound that could be the beginning of something fresh, new and exciting, so long as they put their own spin on it. Songs reminiscent of founding alt-rock days have their place, and Taipei Houston is definitely fun to listen to. But Cobain never shied away from admitting his sound was inspired by the Pixies, and Nirvana still managed to birth a completely new sound. The Red Hot Chili Peppers boast the same quiet-loud, quiet-loud sound Nirvana is known for, yet their similarities stop there. Is Taipei Houston capable of creating an equally unique sound? Only time will tell. 

It goes without saying that Taipei Houston has the chops to shred until their fingers bleed, reminding listeners that there’s no such thing as too much distortion and that you don’t need your dad to be Lars Ulrich to dominate the music scene, although it can’t hurt. Once Bit Never Bored is a fun, get-up-and-go album rife with energy and plenty of drive. Listeners looking to be ripped from their workday funk will appreciate the in-your-face attitude that is Taipei Houston, regardless of what their sound resembles.